How To Tell When You Need A Professional Plumber
If you've ever called a plumber before, you know that it can be really expensive. Remember, their hourly rate is anywhere from $65 to over $100 an hour--and that's without supplies! You obviously want to avoid that whenever you can. However, doing a plumbing job on your own could result in expensive repairs if you do something wrong. So how do you know whether you can handle it yourself or you need a pro? Here are some tips to help you.
First of all, you have to look at whether your situation is an emergency. If you have a leak in your sink, you can probably take the time to research options and look at YouTube videos to help you. If water is gushing onto your floors, you are going to need someone who knows exactly what to do right away. The level of emergency is the first thing to consider when you wonder if you should do things yourself.
Next, you need to think about the costs involved. If you don't hire a professional and make a mistake, how much more expensive will it be for you? It may not be that bad, in which case you may feel comfortable with handing the plumbing project yourself. However, if you know you could cause real damage, call a professional.
Can you find a tutorial or manual online? You can do a lot of projects by simply looking them up online these days. There is so much information available, from online manuals to videos by different people, that you get all the help you need and find it hard to rationalize paying someone $100+ to handle the problem. However, there are some techniques that are difficult to find out about--in that case, you should get a plumber.
Online forums are also a great resource for helping you with any project. Some forums are frequented by professional or retired plumbers who are willing to help people. In fact, sometimes they will suggest stopping and calling a pro.
Lastly, consider how confident you are. If you feel that you can do a project safely, by all means give it a shot. If there is no danger to you or any chance that you will completely ruin something in your house, why not? However, if you are worried that it will be difficult, or that you won't be able to do it so that it looks professionally done, you may want to go ahead and just call a plumber who knows what he's doing.
Completing plumbing problems yourself is something you can absolutely do. After all, you need to be able to save money where you can, and hiring a professional can leave you broke for days. However, a professional has the experience and knowledge to handle the issue a bit more quickly, and you can trust that he'll do it right. Hopefully, the information in this article has given you the ability to know whether you should call a plumber or work independently.
